Biokyra

Monday, December 16, 2013

The Second World Health
Organisation’s Global Forum on Medical Devices took place in Geneva on November
22-24th and gathered together the academia, international organisations,
industry and NGOs. While one of the WHO’s strategic objectives is “to ensure
improved access, quality and use of medical devices”, during this event the
organisation emphasized how important it is to align medical device innovation
with the public health need. According to the WHO, there is a mismatch between
these two spheres.

After hearing the stakeholders’ opinion, five insights were listed to help the
industry work towards resolving the mismatch: 4 ‘A’s define the agenda to
improve access to appropriate medical devices (Availability, Accessibility,
Appropriateness, and Affordability); Diagnostics industry contributes to low
resource settings beyond Corporate Social Responsibility activities; Bring
research and manufacturing to low resource settings; Young entrepreneurs have a
good grasp of localisation; Mobile is the way to go.

Monday, December 2, 2013

3D Printing, or more professionally called Additive Manufacturing, is a
process of making three dimensional solid object from a digital model. It can
print in plastic, metal, nylon and so many other materials. It can make
manufacturing prototype, end user products and even human organs by using a
person’s own cells. This is possible because of its technology: it creates a
three dimensional object by building it layer by layer successively.

Besides the industry sector
and academic researches, 3D Printing is being used by physicians and surgeons.
The most recent event, that was all over the international media, is a case
that took place in the United Kingdom. Surgeons are using 3D Printing to
rebuild a patient’s face which was crushed in a motorbike accident. However,
the surgery hasn’t been booked yet. The theme became an exhibition at the
Science Museum in London and it is called “3D: Printing the Future”.